Indian Train Fares — Compare Class-Wise Ticket Prices
Compare train ticket prices across all classes on any route. Ghumo shows official fares and smart estimates so you can find the best value train for your journey.
How to Check Train Fares on Ghumo
- Enter your departure and arrival stations on the home page
- Select your travel date
- Click search — fares appear on every train card alongside availability
- Tap any train to see class-wise fare breakdown
Train Classes & Typical Fare Ranges
| Code | Class | Typical Range (per 1000 km) | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| SL | Sleeper | ₹350–500 | Non-AC berths, most affordable long-distance option |
| 3E | Third AC Economy | ₹550–800 | AC 3-tier with more berths per coach, budget AC option |
| 3A | Third AC | ₹650–950 | AC 3-tier sleeper with curtains, most popular AC class |
| 2A | Second AC | ₹950–1400 | AC 2-tier with more privacy and space |
| 1A | First AC | ₹1600–2500 | Premium AC with private 2/4-berth cabins |
| CC | Chair Car | ₹450–700 | AC seating for day travel (Shatabdi, Vande Bharat) |
| EC | Executive Chair | ₹900–1400 | Premium AC seating with wider seats and legroom |
Smart Fare Estimation
Not all trains report fares for every class. Ghumo uses smart fare estimation — when a fare for one class is known, we calculate estimated fares for other classes using proven ratios between Indian Railways class pricing. Estimated fares are clearly marked with a ≈ symbol so you can tell them apart from official prices.
Additionally, Ghumo enforces a fare hierarchy check — estimated fares are automatically validated so that cheaper classes are never shown with higher fares than premium classes (e.g. Sleeper is always less than 3E, which is always less than 3AC).
Real Tatkal Fares — Not Estimates
Unlike most apps that calculate Tatkal fares using generic percentage rules, Ghumo shows actual per-train Tatkal surcharges from Indian Railways. This means the Tatkal column in the fare tab reflects the real amount you'll pay — not an approximation.
For example, on train 15114 (CPR GTNR EXP) for a 365 km journey:
| Class | General Fare | TQ Surcharge | Tatkal Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| SL | ₹245 | ₹165 | ₹410 |
| 3A | ₹650 | ₹475 | ₹1,125 |
| 3E | — | — | ₹1,065 (TQ only) |
| 2A | ₹915 | ₹650 | ₹1,565 |
Some classes like 3E may be Tatkal-only on certain trains — they have no General quota fare. Ghumo detects this and shows them correctly with General as "—".
Tatkal & Premium Tatkal Booking
| Quota | Booking Window | Pricing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| General (GN) | 120 days before | Base fare | Opens at 8:00 AM, standard pricing |
| Tatkal (TQ) | 1 day before | Base + surcharge | Opens at 10 AM (AC) / 11 AM (Non-AC), fixed surcharge |
| Premium Tatkal (PT) | 1 day before | Dynamic pricing | Price increases with demand, no refund on cancellation |
Tips for Finding Cheaper Fares
- Book early: General quota fares are fixed, but booking 120 days in advance gives you the best seat choices
- Compare trains: Different trains on the same route can have different fares — Rajdhani and Shatabdi often cost more than Mail/Express
- Try 3E class: Third AC Economy is a newer, cheaper AC alternative to standard 3AC
- Use Ghumo's table view: Switch to table view to compare fares across all trains and classes side-by-side
- Avoid Premium Tatkal: PT uses dynamic pricing — fares can be 2–3× the base fare during peak demand
Frequently Asked Questions
How to check Indian train ticket fares online?
Visit Ghumo, enter your departure and arrival stations, and you'll see fares for all available classes on every train. Ghumo also estimates missing fares using smart algorithms so you can compare costs across all trains.
How are Tatkal fares different from General fares?
Tatkal tickets include a surcharge on top of the base General fare. The surcharge varies by train and distance — for example, SL surcharge can range from ₹100–200, 3AC from ₹150–475, and 2AC from ₹200–650. Ghumo shows the actual per-train Tatkal surcharge from Indian Railways data, not generic estimates.
Which is the cheapest class on Indian trains?
Sleeper (SL) is the most affordable class for long-distance travel. For AC travel, Third AC Economy (3E) is usually the cheapest AC option, followed by Third AC (3A), Second AC (2A), and First AC (1A).
What is smart fare estimation on Ghumo?
When a train doesn't report fares for all classes, Ghumo estimates the missing fares using known ratios between classes. Estimated fares are marked with ≈ and validated against a fare hierarchy so cheaper classes never show higher prices. For Tatkal fares, Ghumo uses actual per-train surcharges from Indian Railways rather than generic percentage calculations.
Do train fares change based on date?
General and Tatkal quota fares are fixed by Indian Railways and don't change by date. However, Premium Tatkal uses dynamic pricing — the fare increases as more tickets are sold. Flexi-fare trains (Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto) also have demand-based pricing.